Homeland Security Department
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS or the Department), is amending certain DHS regulations governing the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program. Specifically, DHS is: Revising the regulatory definition of and standards for a "specialty occupation" to better align with the statutory definition of the term; adding definitions for "worksite" and "third-party worksite"; revising the definition of "United States employer"; clarifying how U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will determine whether there is an "employer-employee relationship" between the petitioner and the beneficiary; requiring corroborating evidence of work in a specialty occupation; limiting the validity period for third-party placement petitions to a maximum of 1 year; providing a written explanation when the petition is approved with an earlier validity period end date than requested; amending the general itinerary provision to clarify it does not apply to H-1B petitions; and codifying USCIS' H-1B site visit authority, including the potential consequences of refusing a site visit. The primary purpose of these changes is to better ensure that each H-1B nonimmigrant worker (H-1B worker) will be working for a qualified employer in a job that meets the statutory definition of a "specialty occupation." These changes are urgently necessary to strengthen the integrity of the H-1B program during the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency to more effectively ensure that the employment of H-1B workers will not have an adverse impact on the wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers. In addition, in strengthening the integrity of the H-1B program, these changes will aid the program in functioning more effectively and efficiently.
Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Homeland Security 8 CFR Part 214 [CIS No. 2658-20 DHS Docket No. USCIS-2020-0018] RIN 1615-AC13 AGENCY: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security. ACTION: Interim final rule (IFR) with request for comments. SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS or the Department), is amending certain DHS regulations governing the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program. Specifically, DHS is: Revising the regulatory definition of and standards for a “specialty occupation” to better align with the statutory definition of the term; adding definitions for “worksite” and “third-party worksite”; revising the definition of “United States employer”; clarifying how U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will determine whether there is an “employer-employee relationship” between the petitioner and the beneficiary; requiring corroborating evidence of work in a specialty occupation; limiting the validity period for third-party placement petitions to a maximum of 1 year; providing a written explanation when the petition is approved with an earlier validity period end date than requested; amending the general itinerary provision to clarify it does not apply to H-1B petitions; and codifying USCIS' H-1B site visit authority, including the potential consequences of refusing a site visit. The primary purpose of these changes is to better ensure that each H-1B nonimmigrant worker (H-1B worker…
Other Federal Register documents from the same docket.
Citation: 85 FR 63918
